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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional expenses amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly official, noting that the US president held meetings with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long trip in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for policing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments of more than four thousand police, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Complex Security Mission

This complex policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "Following your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you reconsider this decision and provide complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson added: "The Scottish government must cover security expenses in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that trip followed a official UK government invitation, in which case it included protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with them, engaging in international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."